Ramp-Up to Readiness
Choose Rigor
+
Gain Access
+ Maintain Motivation
+ Practice Persistence
= READINESS
Introduction
TM
Brainstorm
• What did we discuss last
year that has helped you
begin to prepare for
success in middle school,
high school, and in
college?
• What were some of the
activities we did? What
were some of the topics
we discussed?
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Discuss
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• Read through the
ideas you’ve
brainstormed.
• Work together to
choose the 3 ideas
that you think are
most important for
being college ready.
Share
• Choose a representative from your group to
share your top 3 ideas for what it takes to be
ready for college.
• What ideas do you have in common?
Objectives
• Learn about the following:
Ramp-Up to ReadinessTM
What it means to be college ready
What it takes to be college ready
How you can start preparing now!
Review
• What is Ramp-Up to
Readiness™?
– A program to help all
students develop
the knowledge,
skills, and habits for
success in
postsecondary
education (college).
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Review: Pillars of Readiness
Goal:
All students meet Ramp-Up
Standards
Pillars of Readiness
• What are
the 5
pillars of
readiness?
Plan
Foundation: Belief that all students need to be prepared for postsecondary
education
Review: Pillars of Readiness
Goal:
All students meet Ramp-Up
Standards
Personal/Social
Financial
Career
Academic
Plan
Admissions
Pillars of Readiness
Foundation: Belief that all students need to be prepared for postsecondary
education
Academic Readiness
• Means graduating from high school ready to
do first-year, credit-bearing college work.
• Some skills include:
– Strong reading, writing, and
math skills
– Analyzing and solving complex
problems
– Critically evaluating claims
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– Asking and investigating important questions
– Checking your work to make sure it’s correct
Admissions Readiness
• Means meeting all of the requirements
for admission into the college (2- yr or
4-yr) that you want to attend
• Skills:
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– Identifying the type of college that best fits
your personality, career and personal goals,
and strengths
– Figuring out the requirements at the colleges
you want to attend and coming up with a plan
to meet them
– Applying to at least 3 colleges that are good
matches for you
Career Readiness
Means understanding:
• The relationship between education and
income and opportunity
• Which types of jobs will:
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– Need skilled workers in the future
– Will pay enough to support a family and your
desired lifestyle
– Be a good match for your interests and abilities.
Financial Readiness
• Means you are able to cover the cost
of your 1st semester at college
through savings, loans, work-study
and financial aid
• To be financially ready, you need to:
– Know how to budget
– Know how families like yours pay for
college
– Make a plan to pay for college
– Apply for financial aid
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Personal/Social Readiness
• Means you are ready for the personal and social
challenges of college.
• Important skills include:
– Setting educational goals
– Monitoring progress toward
achieving
your goals
– Putting your best effort into
your
schoolwork
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– Asking for help when you need it
– Creating relationships with peers and adults that
support academic success
How Can You Prepare Now?
Understand
Academic
Readiness
Financial
Readiness
Admissions
Readiness
Career
Readiness
Plan
Believe
Act
Personal/Social
Readiness
This Year…
•
•
•
•
•
Set SMART Goals
Learn about Personal Strengths
Explore Career Clusters and Colleges
Discuss overcoming obstacles
Learn more about academic skills needed for
college readiness
• Work on financial planning for college
• Complete the PREP and look at how your
personal readiness has changed
Ramp-Up Postsecondary Plan
What do I
want to
do with
my life
after high
school?
Ramp-Up Readiness Rubric
Am I on track
to meet my
goals?
Why Start Now?
• The earlier the better!
• Keep your options open and avoid missing out
on opportunities.
– The more you do now to prepare, the more
options you’ll have when it comes time to choose
the college you want to go to.
• Make sure you can get into the college you
want to get into and are able to succeed
there!
Why Start Now?
• What you do now makes a difference
in how prepared you will be for
college.
• The following all impact your college
readiness:
–
–
–
–
Courses you take
Grades you earn
Test scores
Knowledge, skills, and habits you
develop now
– Your Support Network
– Savings and opportunities for financial
aid
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Think-Pair-Share
• Why do you think it is important to start
preparing for college now?
• What is one thing you can start doing now to
prepare for college?
• Which area of college and career readiness
(academic, admissions, career, financial,
personal/social) do you think you need to
work on the most right now?
Review
• In Ramp-Up to Readiness, we’ll work together
to make sure you are:
– Academically Ready
– Admissions Ready
– Career Ready
– Financially Ready
– Personally and Socially Ready for college!
• Preparing for college now will also ensure you
develop the skills, knowledge, and habits you
need to succeed in middle and high school.
Assignment
• Take the Postsecondary Plan and Readiness
Rubric forms home and share them with your
family!
• Explain what you learned about Ramp-Up to
Readiness and what you will be doing this year
to become college and career ready.
• Ask for their help in preparing for college!
References
• Microsoft Office Images. (2011). Retrieved from
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/